High efficiency III-V-material solar cells have a venerable 50-year history in space satellite applications, yet face various obstacles to adoption by the terrestrial solar energy industry. Physicists, materials scientists and engineers in many companies and research groups are therefore working to design solar cells that are ever more efficient, cost-effective and reliable. An overview of current critical issues in III-V solar cell research and development will be discussed. In addition, details will be presented of the career trajectory and daily work life of a prior physics graduate student, recently turned industrial solar cell engineer.